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Tunnel Freezer

The tunnel-type cryogenic freezer offers highest flexibility according to your processing volume. The tunnel length and conveyor belt can be fully customized to fit any kind of automatic processing line. With auto-lift function, it can be easily cleaned and maintained.

 

What Is Tunnel Freezer?

 

 

A tunnel freezer (also known as a freezing tunnel) is an industrial device designed to freeze products quickly and evenly. It consists of a sealed chamber into which the food products are placed. They move through the tunnel by means of a conveyor belt system. Inside the chamber, cold air currents are generated to freeze the food items in a very short time, ordinarily within minutes.

 

Advantages of Tunnel Freezer
 

Rapid freezing
The probably biggest advantage of a tunnel freezer is its ability to achieve exceptionally rapid freezing rates. Cryogenic temperatures enable quick heat transfer, allowing products to be frozen within no time. This rapid freezing not only preserves the quality of the product but also enhances efficiency in production processes.

 

Product quality
Cryogenic tunnel freezers ensure a uniform and consistent freezing process, preventing the formation of ice crystals within the product. This preserves the texture, flavor, and nutritional content of the items being frozen, resulting in a superior end product.

 

Versatility across products
One of the strengths of a tunnel freezer using cryogenic technology is the adaptability to a wide range of products. Whether it's vegetables, meat, pasta, seafood, or baked goods, the adjustable freezing parameters make it possible to accommodate various product types without compromising quality.

 

A tunnel freezer has a space-efficient layout
Tunnel freezers are typically designed with a compact and space-efficient layout. This is particularly beneficial for industries where floor space is at a premium. The streamlined design allows for easy integration into existing production lines.

 

Reduced downtime
A cryogenic tunnel freezer is designed for continuous operation, minimizing downtime during production. The rapid freezing process allows for a constant flow of products through the freezer.

 

Why Choose Us

Our factory
Founded in 1993, SPEEDCRYO is a leading provider of cryogenic food freezing solutions, offering comprehensive cold chain products and services globally.

 

Advanced equipment
We provide a range of freezing equipment to efficiently meet clients' food processing needs, including cryogenic cabinet freezer and tunnel individual quick freezing. These technologies and equipment have been widely used in meat and poultry foodstuffs, baked products, fruits and vegetables, aquatic products and various prepared dishes.

 

Rich experience
With over 28 years of experience in food quick freezing, we offer comprehensive and innovative cryogenic solutions.

 

Customized services
Our team of experts will work closely with you to understand your needs and will provide solutions that are tailored to meet your expectations.

 

Types of Tunnel Freezer

 

Single-belt tunnel freezers

Single-belt tunnel freezers use one continuous belt to transport products through the freezing tunnel. This design is ideal for smaller production lines and products that require uniform freezing.

Multi-belt tunnel freezers

Multi-belt tunnel freezers feature multiple conveyor belts, allowing for higher production capacities. Each belt can operate at different speeds, accommodating various product types and sizes.

Spiral tunnel freezers

Spiral tunnel freezers utilize a spiral conveyor system to maximize space efficiency. This design is perfect for facilities with limited floor space but high production demands. The spiral configuration allows for extended freezing times without requiring a larger footprint.

 

Application of Tunnel Freezer
 

Frozen Food Industry

The frozen food industry uses tunnel freezers for quick freezing of a variety of products, from vegetables to meat and seafood.

Bakery Industry

Tunnel freezers are used to freeze dough, batter, and other baked goods to maintain quality and extend shelf life.

Pharmaceutical Industry

The pharmaceutical industry uses tunnel freezers to freeze and store medicines, vaccines, and other medical supplies.

Chemical Industry

Tunnel freezers are used for quick freezing of chemical products, including epoxies, adhesives, and resins.

 

 
 
Components of Tunnel Freezer

Conveyor belts

Transport products through the freezing tunnel.

Refrigeration units

Generate the cold air needed for rapid freezing.

Control systems

Manage temperature and airflow to ensure optimal freezing conditions.

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Insulated enclosures

Maintain the low temperatures required for efficient freezing.

 

How to Maintain Tunnel Freezer

 

Regular cleaning and inspection
Schedule routine cleaning and inspection of the refrigeration system. Remove debris, ice buildup, and any other contaminants that might affect the efficiency of the cooling or freezing process.

Inspect the conveyor belts, fans, and other moving parts for wear and tear. Replace or repair components as needed to prevent unexpected breakdowns.

 

Optimal temperature control
Monitor and control the temperature consistently to ensure that the system maintains the required temperature levels for efficient cooling or freezing. Regularly calibrate temperature sensors and controllers to guarantee accurate readings and prevent variations that could impact the quality of the processed food.

 

Proper lubrication
Keep all moving parts well-lubricated to reduce friction and wear. This includes conveyor belts, fans, motors, and other components undergoing continuous motion. Only use lubricants recommended by the system manufacturer and adhere to the specified lubrication schedules.

 

Efficient airflow management
Optimize airflow within the tunnel to ensure uniform cooling or freezing of products. Proper airflow helps maintain consistent product quality and reduces the risk of uneven temperature distribution, especially in high-speed “blast” systems where temperature reduction is primarily initiated through airflow control.

Regularly clean and inspect air vents and fans to prevent blockages that can impede airflow.

 

Scheduled maintenance shutdowns
Plan scheduled maintenance shutdowns to conduct more in-depth inspections and repairs. This proactive approach can help identify potential issues before they escalate, minimizing downtime and extending the system’s lifespan.

 

Employee training and awareness
Train personnel on proper operating procedures and the importance of regular maintenance. Well-informed staff can contribute to the early detection of issues and the implementation of preventive measures.

 

How to Choose a Tunnel Freezer
 

Capacity and throughput: When evaluating a tunnel freezer, it is important to evaluate the capacity and throughput requirements of the operation. Understanding the volume of product to be frozen and the required freezing speed will help determine the appropriate size and configuration of the freezer to meet production needs.

 

Freezing performance and uniformity: Freezing performance and uniformity of tunnel freezers are key factors in maintaining frozen product quality. The freezer’s ability to reach and maintain the required temperature throughout the freezing process must be considered to ensure consistent and high-quality results for a variety of food products.

 

Energy efficiency and operating costs: Energy efficiency is an important consideration when selecting a tunnel freezer. Look for refrigerators with advanced insulation, efficient airflow design and energy-saving features to minimize operating costs and environmental impact while maximizing freezing efficiency.

 

Maintenance and cleaning: Ease of maintenance and cleanliness of your tunnel freezer are important to ensure smooth operation and product safety. Choose a freezer with easily accessible components, hygienic design features and easy-to-clean surfaces to simplify maintenance tasks and maintain food hygiene standards.

 

Adaptability and flexibility: Companies should consider the adaptability and flexibility features of tunnel freezers to accommodate different product types and packaging formats. Multifunctional freezers can be adjusted to different production needs and product specifications, providing added value and versatility to operations.

 

Differences between a tunnel freezer and a cold store

Cold store and tunnel freezers serve the same purpose: To house and preserve products at low temperatures. However, there are significant differences in their design and operation.

Small Cryogenic Freezing Tunnel

Freezing vs temperature maintenance
A tunnel freezer is used to freeze goods rapidly, taking them from ambient to subzero temperatures in a short period. In contrast, the primary function of a cold store is to maintain products at a low and constant temperature — usually above the freezing point — to extend their shelf life and keep them fresh.

 

Freezing vs cooling
Tunnel freezers normally operate at temps below -1 ºf for rapid freezing of goods. Cold storage rooms, on the other hand, tend to be kept above 32 °f (generally 32 °f to 41 °f, in line with the products stored).

Short term vs long term
Freezing tunnels are designed to freeze goods in a short period — often in a matter of minutes or hours — as per the product type and the machine’s capacity. Cold store lend themselves more to long-term storage since they run at a constant temperature, preserving product quality.

 

Tunnel vs cold store
Tunnel freezers are long, narrow structures through which products are transported on a conveyor belt or trays. Cold store is typically thermally insulated rooms with cooling units kept at a constant temperature. Products are stored inside the room on cold store racking.

Small Iqf Machine

 

Design and Mechanism of Tunnel Freezers

 

 

Tunnel freezers typically consist of an insulated enclosure equipped with a conveyor belt system that transports products through a controlled freezing zone. The products enter at one end, progress through the tunnel where they are exposed to cold air or cryogenic agents like liquid nitrogen, and emerge frozen at the opposite end.

 

The freezing tunnel operates using precision-engineered airflow systems that ensure even temperature distribution. Through directed cold air, quick-freezing temperatures are achieved, reducing the likelihood of ice crystal formation that can damage the product’s cellular structure.

 

Cryogenic vs. Mechanical Freezing
Cryogenic Tunnel Freezers utilize cryogenic liquids — primarily liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide — to achieve rapid freezing. As the cryogenic liquid comes into contact with the products, it rapidly absorbs heat, vaporizes, and freezes the products quickly.

 

On the other hand, mechanical freezing involves circulating refrigerated cold air over the products to gradually lower their temperature. While not as fast as cryogenic freezing, mechanical systems are more common and can be cost-effective for certain applications.

 

Both methods aim to preserve product quality and extend shelf life, but they do cater to different requirements based on production scale, the temperature thresholds, and the specific nature of the products being frozen.

 

 
Our Factory

 

Founded in 1993, SPEEDCRYO is a leading provider of cryogenic food freezing solutions, offering comprehensive cold chain products and services globally. From industrial freezers to automated conveying freezing tunnels, cold storage room, and refrigerated truck, our 30 years of expertise empower food manufacturers and processors worldwide with cutting-edge freezing technology.

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Our certificates

 

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FAQ

 

Q: How does a tunnel freezer work?

A: It consists of a sealed chamber into which the food products are placed. They move through the tunnel by means of a conveyor belt system. Inside the chamber, cold air currents are generated to freeze the food items in a very short time, ordinarily within minutes.

Q: What is the difference between a tunnel freezer and a spiral freezer?

A: Tunnel Freezer: Tunnel freezers have a linear, space-efficient design. They are suitable for facilities with limited floor space as they occupy less space in a straight line. Spiral Freezer: Spiral freezers have a more extensive footprint due to their spiral conveyor design.

Q: What temperature is a tunnel freezer?

A: With tunnel freezers, that is not the case as they make sure that the food is frozen as soon as possible in order to retain their freshness. The principle of the freezing tunnel is based on a circulation of air at a very high speed and at a temperature of the order of -35℃.

Q: What is the use of tunnel freezer?

A: Tunnel freezers are industrial devices used in the meat, fish and seafood, ready meals, and frozen vegetables sectors. These structures quickly freeze food to preserve its taste and nutrients, extending its shelf life.

Q: What is an IQF tunnel freezer?

A: IQF tunnel freezer for crust treatment.Crust freezing seals and hardens the surface of the individual product in a very short time. This increases the product quality as the ice crystals remain small. It also allows you to keep the original shape of the food before deep freezing, slicing, or portioning it.

Q: What is the principle of IQF freezer?

A: A mechanical IQF freezing system uses a recirculating refrigerant with an air cooler that exchanges heat from the air circulating within the freezer to reduce the temperature of the food. All of our solutions are customized to fit your production line(s) and can use CO2, ammonia, or other common refrigerants.

Q: What is the principle of tunnel freezer?

A: The product moves through the machine on a conveyor and is led past axial fans. The fans blow the air through an evaporator generating an air temperature of below -30°c. A quick freezing with a product temperature down to -18°c is achieved with this IQF tunnel freezer.

Q: What is the spiral tunnel freezing method?

A: Nitrogen is fed into a belt-shaped tunnel, and cold vapor is blasted over the product by large fans on the belt's outside borders. As a result, food products are transported through the spiral freezer at lower temperatures and with less cell damage than those transported via a linear tunnel freezer.

Q: What are the three types of freezing?

A: The spiral tunnel freezing method and cryogenic refrigerator freezing method are the traditional freezing methods, while the liquid nitrogen spray freezing method is a new type of freezing technology in research and development.

Q: At what temperature is the blast freezer tunnel kept?

A: While standard freezers are usually kept at 0 ° C (32 ° F), as mentioned above, blast freezing typically operates at much colder air temperatures of -30 ° C to -40 ° C.

We're professional tunnel freezer manufacturers and suppliers in China, specialized in providing customized refrigeration equipment. We warmly welcome you to buy or wholesale high quality tunnel freezer for sale here from our factory. For price consultation, contact us.

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